Retort for the destructive distillation of resinous woods.



P. BROWN.

T R m B n ILLATION 0F RESINOUB WOODS.

B 0 9 1 0 1 0 B D D In L I X x 0 1 T w I w Patented Apr. 6, 1909.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

INVENTOR fie/rff firawz;

4 ATTORNEY WITNESSES.-

i 45 struction and combination of parts, as will PATENT OFFICE. PETER BROWN, or rRoY, IDAHO.

RETOBT FOR THE DESTBUCTIVE DISTILLATION OF REBINOUS WOODS.

I No. 917,531. Specification of LetteraPatent. Patented April 6, 1909.

Application filed December 10, 1908. Serial No. 847,214.

UNITED STATES Be it known that I, PETER BROWN, a citiers 15, open at their upper ends and re+ zen of the United States; residing at Troy, in Spectively communicating with chambers 16 the county of Latch and St-cte of Idaho, have below. invented certain new ,nnd useful Improve 17 represent meta-l retorts, each formed znents in Retorts for the Destructive Distil with a. shell adapted. to be inserted loosely letion of Resinous Woods, of which the fcli within the ovens, interchangeably, and havlowing is a specification, reference being had ing an en end 18 and peripheral flanges 19 therein to t as accompanying drawings, in at its o'tor end to furnlsh supporting beer.- 65 which* ings to rest upon the top of the furnace and Figure 1 is a plan view of apparatus cmcoverthe interstlce between the oven walls odying my invention; ,Fig. 2, a cross secand the shell of the respective retort. Ad

' tionsl view taken through 2-2 of Fig. 1' 'acent of the closed end of a retort. are e e.-

bolts 20, or an equivalent, wherewith a. sling 70 To all whom it may -concern: I vem'ng walls 14 is a plurality of oven cham- I l ig. 3, a fragmentary vertical section of the 15 lower end of n retort with a sealing, an attached; Fig. 4, a erspective view 0 0. an such illustrated in the precedin view. Fig. .5 is a plain view of a pipe coupling col lcr; Fig. 6, a detail sectionalv view of the separable pipe connection such as is employed wit 1 the various re'to-rts. Fi 7 1s a detail sectional view of the swivel joint of a pipe connecting a trcp box Fig. 8 iso cross sectional view illustrcti'n the construction of the lurmtce, the lines tiiercof being shown somewhat diagrammatically; and Fig. 9 is h fragmentary sectional view of parts of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2.

The object of this invention is the pro vision of improved apparatus whereby resinous woods are economically decomposed by destructive distillation and whereb the heat to which it is subjected is so applie and controlled as to provide a maximum of efli-' cienc with a minimum of waste.

A urther object of the invention is the provision of a system of retorts which are capable of being interchangeably used in a. furnace Whose capacity in the quantity of oumaterial treated is increased and the opera- :tions of charging the retorts and removing the products in charcoal and distillates are uninterruptedly continued.

he invention consists the novel con- 21 of suitable-hoisting gear such, for examle, as a. block 22, hnes' 23 and a derrick boom 24, may beconnected with the retort for withdrawing or replacing the same in its oven. Each retort is provided with a pipe 25 opening from its-closed end, which 1 e is adapted to be detachably connected 8y a complementary pipe 26 with any of the tra 'boxes 27.' The last named pipcs are cac provided with a swivel joint 26 so as to be swung clear of the pipe 25 and the respective retort,::as indicated y broken lines at the right halnd sideof Fig. 2, and at the meeting ends of the two pipes 25 and 26 are flanges 25" and 26" with op ositely beveled periphcries to be vo ratlve y engaged by an inter- Dally grooveg collar 28 for making the union, see Figs. 5 and 6. 'Such collar is made of two semi-circular rtions which afe hinged c1529 and removab y held in oldimpingposition upon said than by anut 3Q upon a bolt 3.1 w ch t e i lspivo yconnctedi) a pin 32 with free end ofone of thence ar 'artslmd adapted to be embraced by the ifurcated as lug 33 of the other part. Said trs bomesm dividually connected by branc pipes with a receiving main 35 which in tum ii I provided with an outlet 36 to carry coping gases from the retortsto proper fimng and storage receptacles which are no illustrated in the drawings.

Remov'ably fitted within each retort, '.and in proximity of its open end, is a giateBZ-ior support the charge of woo whlch 's'being,105- treatcd ihr closing the op n end .of s tort, prior to itg inithdrawal from thesiur',

be hereinafter shown and claimed. In the drawings, the reference numeral 10 "represents a furnace of cylindrical form, preferably, which is constructed of brick, or 50 the like, and is provided with two combustion chambers 11 and 11' which communicats b helical lines 12 and 12 extending nace c pan38 lsprbvided withan upwardly? th'oug the furnace structure with ndir] Y m u r a smoke stiwks or w th pnestaci-z '13 tremity and, whem-thusnzgployrM, 55 which is c 'mrnon' to lmthflues- Between would be supplied .withisu cient liqui to 1. thesehelical'flues with reiatively thin inter-. suhznerge-suc emrnminzandseal theend-cf the retort against the escape of any gases which may then be in the retort and which, if allowed to escape into the oven from which the retort is being'withdrawn, would be liable to catch fire. The pans are connected to the retorts so as to be conveniently detached by hooked spring arms 40 upon a pan engaging with cleats 41 upon a retort, as shown in Fig. 3. A drip-vessel 42 is provided in thc chamber below each oven lorthe purpose of collecting the liquidroducts exuding from the wood before they ave had time to vaporise and the tar, etcl, thus collected is drawn ofi through'tra -pipes 43. To provide a seal, or non-leakab e connection, between a retort, whenin place within an oven, as illustrated in Fig. 2, and'its'mespective drip-ves-' sel 42, the latter is provided about the upper v edges of its sides w tlia gutter 42 for the reception of'a quantity oi water for submerging the bottom edges of the retort and preventthe escape of gases 'into the oven." I Ihe heat to carry out the distillation of the wood is created h combustion of any suitable fuel, but desirably from the wood gas produced in.the .work and it is conveyed to the burners, such as 48, by pipes 44 provided with regulating 'cocks45.

The operation of the invention is as follows: The wood to be-treated is laced within a retort through its open en while the retort is in a horizontal or reversed position, and the grate is then secured in its osition to retain the wood} in the retort w e the latter is being carried to and deposited in an oven of the furnace and also d the time the charge is being treated; The retort- 'is carefully lowered by means of the hoisting gear to cause the lower edges thereof to enter the liquid within the marginal gutter of the vessel below and until the flange 19 bears upon the top of the furnace, as aforaaid. Connection is nowiginade with the trap-box 27 therefor by coupling the particular pipes 25 and 26. The charged retort now considered being in an oven is afl'ected bythe heat to cause the pitchy substances to exude and the eater porti'on thereofiito fall into the vesse 42 below while such of these prodnote as areYaporized-flowthrough the above mentioned pipes to the connected trap-box and thence into the main 3? wherefrom they arev conducted to a asometer or elsewhere;

After the wood wit :1 a reto'rt has been eombmatxonwith a furnace provided with a I combustion chamber, a helical shaped flue sufficiently exposed to the heat to drive outor permit the esca e of the resinous components and these iberated roducts in the form of liquid and gases ave passed oil through the properchannels, or at leastthe greater portion of them the retort is re moved from its oven by'means of the hoisting gear to empty the retort 0f the residual char; coal and to recharge'thesame- In removing a retortthe gas outflow pipes are first uncoupled and the pipe 25 is stopped with a" oimsi plug. Then the retort is raised a short dis tunes to allow of the sealing pan 38 being placed between the vessel 42 and the bottom edges of the reto t, whereupon the retort is lowered and engages with'the fastening devices upon the pan 38 thereby closin up the open end of the retort to confine t e contained gases-while the retort is being taken from its oven.

The various retorts are subjected to the action of heat after being successively charged and handled as aboye explained and it is obvious that the operations can be continuously carried out by simpl changing the retorts that have fulfilled t eir functions within the respective ovens for others which have been reloaded with wood for treatment.

The length of time which is necessary for -a retort to remain in the oven will de end ;upon the character of the wood an the temperature to which it is exposed and may he arrived at'with a close degree of accuracy from former graded trials.

The" invention is especially valuable in situations where tar and pitch are the main products sought for though the others, such as turpentine, pyroligneous acid, can be manufactured in various roportions by we rying the attendant conditions, as the temperature of the furnace and the introduction of steam into the ovens.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters- Patent, is T 1. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with a furnace provided with two combfi'stion chambers, two helical shapeds-flues rres ectively connecting the combustion cham ers with a stack, and a plurality of ovens interposed between said use, said ovens being open at their top and bottom9ends, of removable retorts for said ovens such retorts being severally rovided with an open. lower end, a remova le grate for each said open end, a trap-box for each retort, a separable pipe connection between the respective retorts and trap-boxes, an I opcntop vessel located in the furnace below each said oven means to prevent the esca e of gases from between said vessels and t e respective retorts when the latter are in operative position, and a detachable closure for the open end of each retort.

apparatus of the class described, the

connecting the combustion chamber with a stack, an a plurality of ovens which are open at their top and bottom-ends, of remova le retorts for said ovens each of which is proyided with an openlovller end, a removable grat'e'for each said 0 end, a trap-box for each retort a separa le pipe connection between the pective retorts and trapboxes, discharge conduits for the trap-boxes,

an open top vessel located in the furnace below each said oven, means to prevent the escape of gnses from between said vessels and the res cctivo rotorts when the latter are in operative position, and a. detachable closure for the open end or each retort.

3. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with 'a furnace provided with combustion chambers, and helical shaped fines respectively connecting the combustion chambers with estack, and c plurality of ovcns which are 0 n at their top and bottom ends, of remove. le retorts for said ovens each of which is rovided with on open lower end, a remcvnb e grate for each said open end, a trap-box for each retort, a separable pipe connection, between the respective retorts and trap-boxes, discharge conduits for the trap-boxes, an open to vessel located in the furnace below each sair oven, and means to prevent the escape of gases from between said vessels and the respective rotorts when the latter are in operative position.

4. In apparatus of the class described, the combination withn furnace provided with a combustion chamber, a helical sl-apd flue comrcctin i the combustion chamber with a stack, am a plurality of ovens which' lire ogen at their top and bottom ends, of remove e le rctorts for said ovens each of which is provided with an open lower end, it removable grate for each said 0 end, a. trap-box 'for each retort, a eeparu. [e pipe connection between the respective retorts and trepboxes, discharge conduits for the trap-boxes, and means to prevent the escape of gases from between said vessels and the respective rctorts when the latter are in operative positum.

'5. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with a furnace provided with a. combustion chamber, a helical shaped flue conncctinfi the combustion chamber with a. stack, am a pluralit of ovens which are ogen at their iop and ottmn ends, of remova lo rotor-ts for said ovexw ouch of which is provided with an open lower end, a removnblo grate for each acid 0. on end, a trap-box for ouch retort, o. scporn 1e 'pipe connection between the respective retorts and trap bones, and discharge conduits for the trap boxes.

6. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with a. furnace provided with two combustion chambers, two helical shaped flucs res'-e tivoly connecting the in presence oi two witnesses.

- PETER BROWN.

Witnesses:

Pmnns Bmxes, JOSEPH llissn.

lower end, c re-' combustion chem era with a stack, and an 

